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Ganthos Grimbeard
An aged dwarf, who has spent his life in the trade of smuggling and raiding. He wears the title of Pirate with pride, and since long leads his own crew, which nowadays sail under the name of Blacktide. Early Life Captain Grimbeard was born long ago in the city of Ironforge, and it was there he would come to spend much of his early life. During this time, he were trained in the arts of brewing, knowledge he still maintains, much to the liking of his crew. Thus it continued, and he eventually became a Brewmaster, which had been his goal until now. Having completed his training, he no longer felt the urge to remain in Ironforge, and like so many other dwarves he now wished for adventure. At the same time, he still felt there was things still to master within his trade, and so decided to journey to a place only spoken of in a legend which is often considered one of the Brewmasters most well-kept secrets... The land of Pandaria. Home to the Pandaren, a race which is rumoured to have fully mastered almost every branch of brewing, both those known and unknown to the other races of Azeroth, and the fact that no other being, except for those native to Pandaria had ever stepped on its soil, it seemed to be the perfect goal for a young, adventure-seeking dwarf, and so, after gaining funds from officials within Ironforge, he set out on his journey. This was before even the knowledge of Kalimdor had reached the Eastern Kingdoms, and as such, it was a dire task indeed. Introduction to Piracy His journey took him south, and the ship which he had hired took him past the cape of Stranglethorn in his search. It was there, beyond the jungles of the Vale, where he was first introduced to the survey scums of the sea. His ship was boarded by boarded by freelancers, and many of its crew were slaughtered. Ganthos himself survived, albeit were captured. Since Ironforge were too distant for ransoms to be demanded properly, he was kept as a slave and forced to labour beneath the deck. The Pirates eventually discovered Grimbeards brewing capabilities, something they found to be much to their liking. This proved to be Ganthos's key to freedom. After mixing together a particularly strong concoction, he actually managed to talk the Captain into a round of cards. With his judgement scrambled by the alcohol in his blood, the captain was easily beaten, and Ganthos gained his freedom, for even though he was a pirate, the Captain was a man of his words. What Ganthos bet on his own behalf, he has never spoken of. During his years in captivity, Ironforge had become a distant thought, and Grimbeard no longer felt the urge to return to his home. Thus, he was actually elevated to the rank of a Pirate, since the Captain did not want to loose his brewer. Reaching the rank of Captain Many years passed, and Ganthos served the freelancers well. During his years in the crew, he was trained in the arts of swashbuckling, an art he came to master to the extent that it rivaled his affinity for brewing. Three captains did he serve, the third under which he was elevated to the rank of First Mate. Eventually, in a battle against another crew, his superior fell to the blade of the enemy, but Ganthos was not soon to claim revenge. Wielding what would become his trademark, a wooden mace, or Blackjack, and being filled with boiling rage, he fell one pirate after another, eventually reaching the leader of the enemy force, crushing said person's head with a single swipe. In the aftermath, Ganthos attained the title of Captain, and renamed the crew the Blacksail Freelancers. Sailing under the Salty Tide and Becoming a Pirate Lord Thus, life continued for Captain Grimbeard, plundering and smuggling his way to wealth. Eventually, he sought to return to Ironforge and meet with his relatives, albeit without drawing too much attention to himself. This caused him to seek to dock at the port of Menethil, which was currently the most accessible should one seek to journey to Ironforge. Unknown to the Captain, Menethil had actually been declared a city-state of its own, and were now under the rule of the Salty Tide Privateers. Thus it was that the Blacksails came to remain in Menethil, and eventually be inducted into the fleet of the Privateers. Due to this, Ganthos came in contact with the Pirate Court, and after a period of service within the Privateers, he was eventually accepted as a Pirate Lord, due to still maintaining his own crew while sailing under the flag of the Salty Tide. Disappearance and Return After an extensive battle against Blackwater Raiders, Grimbeard was thought to be lost at sea. He has eventually returned, and due to Admiral Demonwretcher being lost and the Privateers broken, Lord Grimbeard decided it was time to further his own ends once again. Having reformed the Blacksails into the Blacktide, he is now ready to roam the seas once again, sailing his ship the Leviathan with one hand, and holding a grog in the other.